


goodbye mr. a

by cabinet_man



Category: swag team epic
Genre: Not Canon Compliant, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26061160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabinet_man/pseuds/cabinet_man
Summary: The Thief of Breath is stricken with grief.
Kudos: 9





	goodbye mr. a

**Author's Note:**

> based off of an au where karter kills ashton after their betrayal.
> 
> you can find the image [here.](https://sta.sh/02g1l3cjnapn)

The plan wasn’t supposed to go like this.

**ZOEY: ash?? what is he talking about???**

You don’t move from your spot behind Zoey and Karter, but you can see the hurt in Zoey’s eyes and burning hatred in Karter’s- he’s shaking with anger.

**KARTER: So what he’s saying.**  
**KARTER: Is that you’ve been LYING to us this entire time?**

Karter’s voice is surprisingly steady, and you’re not sure whether you should be relieved or horrified. The latter is winning, though, because you can see his bottom lip start to quiver. This wouldn’t last much longer. You know it won’t. Why feel so guilty over something you knew was eventually going to happen?

 **ASHTON: well**  
**ASHTON: its more complicated than that** **ASHTON: i didnt... lie to you i just** **ASHTON: just...**

You did lie to them. You know you did.

 **ASHTON: okay yeah i lied.**  
**ASHTON: so what?** **ASHTON: it’s for the greater good** **KARTER: I thought you were our friend, Ash.**

You pause. What are you supposed to say to that? They’ve backed you into a corner and you can’t get out now.

You walk past them, to where Lord English is standing on the opposite side of the room. He gently pats you on the back.

**LORD ENGLISH: YOU DID GOOD.**  
**LORD ENGLISH: YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.**

You turn to face him.

 **ASHTON: what?**  
**ASHTON: you told me to bring them here! to you!** **ASHTON: what else am i supposed to be doing!**

Lord English clears his throat before nudging you forwards.

**LORD ENGLISH: ELIMINATE THEM.**

Your eyes go wide.

**ZOEY: WHAT!**  
**KARTER: You ASSHOLE!**

You instantly look behind you, to where the others are shouting. Why the fuck is this making you feel _horrible_?

 **ASHTON: no i cant-**  
**ASHTON: i cant kill them!  
** **LORD ENGLISH: YOU HAVE TO.  
** **LORD ENGLISH: TICK TOCK ASHTON.  
** **LORD ENGLISH: IT’S EITHER ME. OR THEM.**

It’s either him.

Or them.

And you know exactly what you have to do.

**ASHTON: i know.**

As you draw out your bow, you can hear the sound of Lord English’s Cairo overcoat turning into his sarcophagus and before you know it, there’s a blinding light coming from behind you. You stare directly at Zoey and Karter as they cover their eyes to avoid any possible damage.

 **ZOEY: you’re not actually going to kill us are you!?**  
**ZOEY: ash please!** **ZOEY: we’re your friends!**

You watch as the tears begin to stream down her face. The expression doesn’t suit her at all.

**KARTER: Stay behind me, Zoey. I can protect you.**

You know he can’t, but the promise cuts you deep nonetheless. He’s shaking even more now, barely on the verge of tears himself.

 **ASHTON: im so fucking sorry**  
**KARTER: If you were sorry, you wouldn’t be doing this.  
** **KARTER: Put down the bow, Ashton.  
** **ZOEY: ash...please......**

You retrieve an arrow from your sylladex. All of your slots were filled with a single arrow each so that the roulette feature wouldn’t kick in and give you an item that you really don’t need right now. But the arrows weren’t supposed to be for this.

**ASHTON: sorry guys**  
**ASHTON: but i have a mission to finish.**

You position the arrow and draw the string back as you aim for the vital points of Karter’s throat. Your hands are a little shaky, but as you let go, everything seems to slow down.

The arrow pierces the air, electricity exploding and causing a brilliant light to flash all around you. You hear a scream, but it’s not Karter.

When the light fades, you’re expecting to see the Thief of Breath to be on the ground and the smell of burnt flesh hanging in the air. The smell is there, but instead of a thief, there is a seer. Karter had been pushed out of the way, and was currently getting to his feet.

**KARTER: Zo-?**

He stops dead in his tracks as he sees his girlfriend’s corpse at his feet. The tears finally start to fall.

The clock ticks.

_Tick..._

_Tock..._

_Tick..._

_Tock..._

_DING! DONG!_

The clock chimes somewhere. Zoey’s death was heroic, and she is never coming back.

Shock turns to grief and then subsequently turns into pure, unadulterated rage and Karter’s face reflects that. His gaze turns to you and he looks _murderous._

**KARTER: I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!**

You quickly retrieve another arrow and aim, but before you can, teeth clamp onto your left forearm and you drop your bow, which lands with a loud _CLACK_. You shout something before slamming your other fist into his cheek out of self-defense, but his teeth tear through your skin and you stare in horror as a good chunk of your flesh is ripped completely off of your arm.

Karter’s nose is bleeding as you tackle him to the ground, wrestling him down to the floor before ultimately pinning him and dealing another blow directly to his eye. You hit again. Again. Again. Again again again _again AGAIN_ -

He kicks up into your stomach and you lurch backwards with a grunt as he shoves you off and away from him, adding in another kick to your nose.

The next thing you know, you’re on your back and he has a hand clamped around your throat, slowly, but surely, choking you. You claw at him, trying to get him to release you, but to no avail. His grip is strong- _too_ strong.

 **KARTER: Tell me!**  
**KARTER: Tell me why!** **KARTER: Tell me why the FUCK you would fucking betray your friends or so help me I’ll fucking KILL YOU!**

He’s breathing heavily, his free hand clenched into a fist above his head, ready to strike if you say something that he doesn’t like or if you refuse to cooperate with him. There’s blood streaming down his face, from his mouth, from his nose. His eye is starting to swell, and you’re starting to draw blood from the arm that’s holding you down.

His eyes look foggy and you can see that he’s holding back a sob, but he’s still crying. A teardrop drips down from his face and lands onto your own, splattering over your cheek.

**KARTER: FUCKING SAY SOMETHING!**

He’s absolutely hysterical, and he’s about a second from completely breaking down. His grip on your throat tightens and you choke as you notice his other fist clenching even more than before.

You claw at the hand that’s clamped around you, only just barely managing to loosen the grip.

 **ASHTON: karter i-**  
**KARTER: I DON’T WANT EXCUSES!  
** **KARTER: Just fucking tell me why, Ashton!  
** **KARTER: Why did you fucking HELP HIM?!**

You try to gasp for air, but his grip on you refuses to loosen. He really is going to kill you.

 **ASHTON: because i work for him!**  
**ASHTON: i don’t** **ASHTON: i HAD to-**

You sputter for air and your vision suddenly blurs as you feel a crushing weight around your jugular.

 **KARTER: WE ARE LIVING, BREATHING PEOPLE ASH!**  
**KARTER: WE’RE FUCKING INNOCENT!** **KARTER: You’re a fucking MONSTER!**

Your left arm goes numb and you feel dizzy, light-headed. You don’t have time to process the next hit, or the one after that, or even the one that directly followed the second one. Your face feels like it’s on fire, and you watch with wide eyes as Karter raises his fist one last time.

Just like with the arrow earlier, time seems to slow down enough for you to completely feel every nerve in your body flare up as if they’re the fuse on a stick of dynamite.

**ASHTON: i know.**

Your vision goes completely black.

  
  
  


**GAME OVER.**

**TRY AGAIN?**

**YES.**

**→ NO.**

**Author's Note:**

> anonumii @ twitter


End file.
